OSAKA - A growing number of families in Japan are choosing to close down their family graves, driven by factors such as fewer descendants to inherit burial plots and the difficulty of maintaining graves far from where they now live.
A service that allows cremated remains to be stored indefinitely began in Nara City last month, with officials saying more than 70% of applications are being made while people are still alive, reflecting rising concerns about who will care for graves in the future.
Reporter Bamba Nagisa asked residents how they feel about graves, with one person in their 40s saying summer visits can be exhausting due to extreme heat and that keeping flowers and maintaining the site can be difficult. A resident in their 60s said they feel they must set aside money to eventually dispose of the family grave, while a couple in their 30s said they plan to manage the grave they inherited but worry it may become a burden for their children, making them consider closing it down.
The practice, known as "hakajimai," involves removing a grave and relocating the remains, and it has been increasing in recent years as Japan’s declining birthrate leaves fewer people to take over family graves.
The number of cases involving the relocation of remains, including hakajimai, has roughly doubled over the past decade.
At Terayama Cemetery’s columbarium, operated by Nara City, manager Nakano Misao explained that the facility is designed with shelves to store up to 20,000 sets of remains. The city began offering an indefinite storage service there last month.
For example, Nara residents can pay a one-time fee of 80,000 yen at the time of application, with no additional charges, allowing the remains to be kept permanently.
The facility began accepting remains in October last year, and in about four months it has received more than 1,500 applications.
Among those visiting the columbarium were the Nakayama couple, who plan to close their parents’ grave and came to place the remains of the wife’s sister, who died in October last year. A staff member told them they would begin placing the remains inside and asked them to see her off.
While the service has limitations, such as not being able to take out individual urns for personal visits, inquiries continue to rise.
The Nakayamas have already reserved space for their own remains at the facility, and the columbarium says such pre-death reservations account for more than 70% of all applications.
Masao Nakayama, 74, said managing a grave is still possible while they are alive, but he worries about the future. Masumi Nakayama, 67, said there would be no one left to look after it, adding that this may simply be the era they are living in.
As family structures and lifestyles change, more people are turning to new forms of memorial services that better match their circumstances, expanding the choices available for how loved ones are laid to rest.
Source: YOMIURI
